Method and apparatus for recording image in recording medium using photoconductor with reduced dark latent image, and reading image from photoconductor with reduced dark current

An apparatus for recording image information carried by an electromagnetic wave as a latent image in an image recording medium including a photoconductor which is made of an amorphous material, and generates latent-image charges when the photoconductor is exposed to the electromagnetic wave during application of a first electric field to the photoconductor, and a charge storing portion which stores the latent-image charges so as to form the latent image;

• said apparatus comprising:
• an electric-field applying unit which applies an electric field to said photoconductor;
• and
• a control unit which controls said electric-field applying unit so as to first apply a second electric field to said photoconductor for a certain duration, and thereafter apply said first electric field to the photoconductor for recording the image information, where said second electric field is stronger than said first electric field.

A method comprising the steps of:

• (a) applying a first electric field to a photoconductor made of an amorphous material;
• (b) stopping application of said first electric field to said photoconductor;
• and
• (c) reading image information carried by an electromagnetic wave by exposing said photoconductor to the electromagnetic wave while applying a second electric field to said photoconductor, and detecting charges which are generated in the photoconductor when the photoconductor is exposed to the electromagnetic wave during application of the second electric field to the photoconductor, where said first electric field is stronger than said second electric field.

An apparatus comprising:

• a photoconductor which is made of an amorphous material, and generates charges when exposed to an electromagnetic wave during application of a first electric field to the photoconductor;
• an electric-field applying unit which applies an electric field to said photoconductor;
• a reading unit which reads image information carried by the electromagnetic wave by detecting the charges generated by the photoconductor during the application of the first electric field to the photoconductor;
• and
• a control unit which controls said electric-field applying unit so as to first apply a second electric field to said photoconductor for a certain duration, and thereafter apply said first electric field to the photoconductor for reading the image information, where said second electric field is stronger than said first electric field.